Staff
Glenn Nishimura
With more than 35 years of executive and leadership experience in nonprofit management, Glenn Nishimura has expertise in program development, technical assistance delivery, network creation and training. His particular area of experience lies in organizational and program development for small, rural nonprofits. Most recently, as program director for the Mid South Delta program of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), he helped nonprofit community development corporations build and rehab more than 3,100 affordable homes in 56 economically distressed counties and parishes in the Mississippi delta. He has a BS in mathematical economics from Brown University. He is currently an independent community development consultant.
With more than 35 years of executive and leadership experience in nonprofit management, Glenn Nishimura has expertise in program development, technical assistance delivery, network creation and training. His particular area of experience lies in organizational and program development for small, rural nonprofits. Most recently, as program director for the Mid South Delta program of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), he helped nonprofit community development corporations build and rehab more than 3,100 affordable homes in 56 economically distressed counties and parishes in the Mississippi delta. He has a BS in mathematical economics from Brown University. He is currently an independent community development consultant.
Advisory Committee
Judith Faust sometimes describes herself as “an organization junkie,” having long been fascinated by how organizations work, and especially by what community-based nonprofits can accomplish. She’s now on the faculty at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, teaching graduate students in social work about nonprofit management and community practice. Her own work has included directing a program for runaway and homeless youth, a management-support organization for Arkansas nonprofits, and the state’s Division of Children and Family Services. She volunteers presently with the Downtown Little Rock Community Development Corporation, an organization that builds housing for low- and moderate-income families, and with HeARTwork, an arts and spirituality program.
Pat Blackstone has worked in Arkansas for over 25 years on issues concerning children and families. She was the teen parent liaison with the three school districts and the Department of Human Services and worked with homeless coordinators and counselors in all the secondary schools in Pulaski County. Pat was elected to the North Little Rock School Board where she served as president. Until 2005 she was executive director of a comprehensive homeless and abused women’s shelter in Little Rock and now is program coordinator for the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She also works with the Legislature on issues concerning women and their children, domestic violence and homelessness.
Herman Davenport is the owner and principal consultant of The Davenport Group, Inc., a Little Rock based private consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, project management, program development/assessment and research activities targeting business, foundation, government and nonprofit organizations. For nearly 20 years Mr. Davenport was with Levi Strauss & Co. where he was responsible for corporate social responsibility and community affairs including grant making through the Levi Strauss Foundation for its nine-state Mid-South Region. Prior to that, he served as director of agency relations and allocations with the United Way of Pulaski County. Current and past affiliations include: Little Rock Public Education Foundation, University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service Admissions Committee, Southern Bancorp, and the National Rural Community Assistance Partnership.
Lia Lent has worked in administration and fundraising for a variety of nonprofit organizations for more than 20 years. She has been the director of several community-based organizations including a domestic violence shelter, a community radio station, and a cooperative preschool program. She has also worked as a grant writer to acquire funding for low-income housing programs, community economic development efforts, mental health programs, teen parenting projects, advocacy and community organizing campaigns, and international development projects. She has a BA in sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz and an MSW from the University of Arkansas Little Rock.
Freeman McKindra is the founder of McKindra Development Institute, Inc (MDII), a consulting company that facilitates planning and development activities with progressive human service entities. Throughout his career, Freeman has been engaged in the practice and study of all phases of community and economic development. He spent fifteen years with the Winthrop Rockefeller foundation, last serving as a Senior Program Officer. He was most recently engaged in projects in the mid-south supported by the WK Kellogg Foundation, Foundation for the Mid-South and the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. He has practiced his art in many parts of the world, having worked in Africa, Asia, and more than fifteen states in the United States. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Pakistan, where he taught science to pre-medical students. He trained VISTA Volunteers for service in the southwestern region of the US. For eight years he programmed ACTION Volunteer efforts in Arkansas, enabling volunteers for VISTA, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Senior Companions and Foster Grandparents to serve in organizations throughout Arkansas.
Bill Rahn is an attorney with broad experience working with community-based non-profits. He was a Senior Program Manager for the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation where he managed program and grant-making operations intended to improve the quality of life in Arkansas, with a focus on economic development, education and social justice. He also served as Program Officer for the Foundation for the MidSouth where he managed economic development program grants seeking to improve access to capital and credit, promote community development and enhance economic opportunities across Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. As Director of the Arkansas Legal Services Support Center, Bill produced legal education training programs for Arkansas lawyers on subjects relevant to representation of low-income persons, the elderly and persons with disabilities. Currently, Bill is the owner and operator of SNAP Fitness of Central Arkansas.
Kit Smith is a CPA with 22 years experience in nonprofit accounting. Currently, she works as the Director of Finance for Heifer Foundation, after many years as Director of Finance at Heifer International. Before coming to Heifer, she worked with churches and small nonprofits. In past positions, she has trained grassroots groups on financial management and understands the challenging capacity issues that small groups deal with on a daily basis.
Pat Blackstone has worked in Arkansas for over 25 years on issues concerning children and families. She was the teen parent liaison with the three school districts and the Department of Human Services and worked with homeless coordinators and counselors in all the secondary schools in Pulaski County. Pat was elected to the North Little Rock School Board where she served as president. Until 2005 she was executive director of a comprehensive homeless and abused women’s shelter in Little Rock and now is program coordinator for the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She also works with the Legislature on issues concerning women and their children, domestic violence and homelessness.
Herman Davenport is the owner and principal consultant of The Davenport Group, Inc., a Little Rock based private consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, project management, program development/assessment and research activities targeting business, foundation, government and nonprofit organizations. For nearly 20 years Mr. Davenport was with Levi Strauss & Co. where he was responsible for corporate social responsibility and community affairs including grant making through the Levi Strauss Foundation for its nine-state Mid-South Region. Prior to that, he served as director of agency relations and allocations with the United Way of Pulaski County. Current and past affiliations include: Little Rock Public Education Foundation, University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service Admissions Committee, Southern Bancorp, and the National Rural Community Assistance Partnership.
Lia Lent has worked in administration and fundraising for a variety of nonprofit organizations for more than 20 years. She has been the director of several community-based organizations including a domestic violence shelter, a community radio station, and a cooperative preschool program. She has also worked as a grant writer to acquire funding for low-income housing programs, community economic development efforts, mental health programs, teen parenting projects, advocacy and community organizing campaigns, and international development projects. She has a BA in sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz and an MSW from the University of Arkansas Little Rock.
Freeman McKindra is the founder of McKindra Development Institute, Inc (MDII), a consulting company that facilitates planning and development activities with progressive human service entities. Throughout his career, Freeman has been engaged in the practice and study of all phases of community and economic development. He spent fifteen years with the Winthrop Rockefeller foundation, last serving as a Senior Program Officer. He was most recently engaged in projects in the mid-south supported by the WK Kellogg Foundation, Foundation for the Mid-South and the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. He has practiced his art in many parts of the world, having worked in Africa, Asia, and more than fifteen states in the United States. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Pakistan, where he taught science to pre-medical students. He trained VISTA Volunteers for service in the southwestern region of the US. For eight years he programmed ACTION Volunteer efforts in Arkansas, enabling volunteers for VISTA, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Senior Companions and Foster Grandparents to serve in organizations throughout Arkansas.
Bill Rahn is an attorney with broad experience working with community-based non-profits. He was a Senior Program Manager for the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation where he managed program and grant-making operations intended to improve the quality of life in Arkansas, with a focus on economic development, education and social justice. He also served as Program Officer for the Foundation for the MidSouth where he managed economic development program grants seeking to improve access to capital and credit, promote community development and enhance economic opportunities across Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. As Director of the Arkansas Legal Services Support Center, Bill produced legal education training programs for Arkansas lawyers on subjects relevant to representation of low-income persons, the elderly and persons with disabilities. Currently, Bill is the owner and operator of SNAP Fitness of Central Arkansas.
Kit Smith is a CPA with 22 years experience in nonprofit accounting. Currently, she works as the Director of Finance for Heifer Foundation, after many years as Director of Finance at Heifer International. Before coming to Heifer, she worked with churches and small nonprofits. In past positions, she has trained grassroots groups on financial management and understands the challenging capacity issues that small groups deal with on a daily basis.
